J. Percy Priest Master Plan Update 2007 J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 1 – Table of Contents Section 1 – Table of Contents Section 2 - Introduction 2.01 – Introduction 2.02 – Project Authorization and Purposes 2.03 - References 2.04 – Purpose of the Master Plan Update 2.05 – Prior Master Plan and Supplements 2.06 – Application of Public Laws 2.07 – Master Plan Proposals and Mission Statement 2.08 – Outgrant Management 2.09 – Scope of the Report Section 3 – J. Percy Priest Lake Statistics 3.01 - Location 3.02 - Construction 3.03 - Project Purpose 3.04 - Water/Land Acreages 3.05 - Land Acreage 3.06 - Boundary Line Miles 3.07 - Acquisition Policy 3.08 - Visitation and Economic Benefits 3.09 - Corps Recreation Areas 3.10 – Project Facilities 3.11 - Areas Managed by Other Agencies 3.12 - Commercial Concessions 3.13 - Other Major Lease Areas Section 4 - Recreational and Environmental Resources 4.01 - Chief of Engineers, Environmental Operating Principles 4.02 - Environmental Operating Principles 4.03 - Environmentally Sensitive Areas 4.04 - Land and Water Use Classifications 4.05 – Implementation of Recreation Area Development Section 5 - Guidelines for Issuance of Outgrants 5.01 – Purpose 5.02 – Outgrant Issuance Flow Chart 5.03 – Definitions 5.04 – Responsibilities 5.05 – Designation of Outgrant Utility Corridors - 1 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 1 – Table of Contents 5.06 – Mitigation Section 6 - Wildlife and Fisheries Management 6.01 – Wildlife Management 6.02 – Fisheries Management Section 7 – Project-Specific Management Issues 7.01 - Cultural/Historic Preservation 7.02 – Off-Road Vehicles 7.03 - Encroachments and Destruction of Public Property 7.04 - Lake Level Fluctuations 7.05 - Adjacent Private Development 7.06 - Water Quality Concerns 7.07 - Vandalism 7.08 - Land Fragmentation 7.09 – Storm Water Management Issues 7.10 - Water Withdrawal Requests 7.11 - Hazard Tree Removal Section 8 - Recreational Area Status 8.01 - Project Recreation Areas Site 99 - J. Percy Priest Damsite Site 100 – Seven Points Recreation Area Site 101 - Long Hunter State Park Site 103 - Hamilton Creek Park Site 104 – Cook Recreation Area Site 105 – Anderson Road Recreation Area Site 107 – Smith Springs Recreation Area Site 108 – Suggs Creek Camping Area Site 109 - Four Corners Recreation Area Site 109 – Four Corners Marina Site 113 – Poole Knobs Recreation Area Site 116 – Fate Sanders Recreation Area Site 116 – Fate Sanders Marina Site 117 – Jefferson Springs Recreation Area Site 120 – Fall Creek Camping Area Site 121 - East Fork Recreation Area Site 123 – Gregory Mill Recreation Area Site 126 – Elm Hill Recreation Area Site 126 - Elm Hill Marina Site 201 – Tailwater Left Bank Access Area Site 202 – Tailwater Right Bank Access Area Site 203 – J. Percy Priest Lake Overlook - 2 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 1 – Table of Contents Site 206 – Vivrett Creek Launching Area Site 211 – Hurricane Creek Launching Area Site 215 – Stewart Creek Launching Area Site 218 – Lamar Hill Launching Area Site 219 – West Fork Launching Area Site 222 – Mona Launching Area Site 224 – Nices Mill Access Area Site 302 – Nashville Shores Water Park, Marina, and Yacht Club Section 9 – Master Plan Supplements 9.01 – Master Plan Supplements 9.02 – Proposals for Future Consideration Section 10 – Project Stakeholders and Partnering Efforts 10.01 - Selection Criteria for Development of Project Stakeholder Team 10.02 - ER 1130-2-550 and EP 1130-2-550 10.03 - J. Percy Priest Master Plan Interdisciplinary Team 10.04 – Stakeholder Meetings 10.05 - Groove Workspace 10.06 – J. Percy Priest Website 10.07 – Partnering Efforts 10.08 - Long Hunter State Park 10.09 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 10.10 - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency 10.11 – Girl Scouts of America 10.12 - Boy Scouts of America 10.13 - International Mountain Bike Association 10.14 - Tennessee Equestrian Association 10.15 - Necedah Bow Hunters 10.16 - U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 10.17 – The Nature Conservancy 10.18 - Tennessee Wildlife Federation 10.19 - Tennessee Trails Association 10.20 - Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation 10.21 - Fishing Organizations and Clubs 10.22 - Hunting Organizations and Clubs Section 11 – Project Trails and Greenways 11.01 – Project Trails and Impact Levels 11.02 - Trails Managed by the Corps of Engineers - 3 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 1 – Table of Contents 11.03 - Trails Managed by Other Agencies 11.04 – Project Greenways 11.05 - Proposed Greenway Trails 11.06 - Criteria for Greenway Trail Evaluation 11.07 - Impacts to Established Recreational Opportunities 11.08 – Project Greenway Trail Corridors Section 12 - Conclusions and Recommendations 12.01 – Conclusions and Recommendations 12.02 - Project Demands 12.03 - Land Use Policies 12.04 - Shareholder Coordination 12.05 – Cumulative Impacts 12.06 – Periodic Update of Project Master Plan Section 13 - Maps and Plates 13.01 - Project Map 13.02 - Land Allocation Maps 13.03 - Land Classification Categories 13.04 - Environmentally Sensitive Areas 13.05 – Roadway Corridors 13.06 – Project Greenway Corridors 13.07 – Outgrant Utility Corridors - 4 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 2 - Introduction 2.01 – Introduction J. Percy Priest Reservoir is located in northern central Tennessee on the Stones River, a tributary of the Cumberland River. At full recreation pool the lake covers 14,200 acres and has 213 miles of shoreline. The lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities including fishing, swimming, camping, boating and hunting. The recreation areas vary from highly developed commercial operations to unimproved camping areas in response to the diverse demands of the lake's broad market area. 2.02 – Project Authorization and Purposes Stewarts Ferry Reservoir was authorized under the authority of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946 and Public Law 85-496 authorized the name change to J. Percy Priest in honor of the late Congressman from Tennessee. Land acquisition at J. Percy Priest was accomplished under the 1962 Army/Interior Joint Acquisition Policy (300 foot policy), resulting in significant perimeter lands in public ownership. Containing approximately 19,460 acres, these lands enhance the natural appearance of the lake and prevent encroachments on the shoreline. These land areas are especially critical at J. Percy Priest since the lake is set in the midst of a highly developed, rapidly growing urban area. Most visitors to the lake come from nearby Nashville and the surrounding counties of Rutherford, Wilson, and Williamson. The lake is easily accessible by Interstates 40, 24, and 65, as well as State Route 840, to several major cities such as Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, LaVergne, and Mt. Juliet and draws visitors from outside as well as within the state. In 2006, approximately 32 million visitor-hours were recorded at J. Percy Priest Lake. J. Percy Priest was authorized for the purposes of recreation, flood control and hydroelectric power production. Additional demands placed on project resources, such as providing municipal water supplies to Smyrna, Lavergne, and Murfreesboro, also place a heavy demand on water resources of the project and further the importance of wise stewardship of project resources. Some public lands at J. Percy Priest have been outgranted to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) to promote wildlife and fisheries management objectives. Some public lands have also been made available to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect unique and rare cedar glade habitat and to promote biological diversity. 2.03 - References This report has been prepared in accordance with guidance contained within the following references: - 1 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION 2 - Introduction ER 1130-2-540, Environmental Stewardship Operations and Maintenance Policies (1996). EP 1130-2-540, Environmental Stewardship Operations and Maintenance Guidance and Procedures (1996). ER 1130-2-550, Recreation Operations and Maintenance Policies (1996). EP 1130-2-550, Recreation Operations and Maintenance Guidance and Procedures (1996). ER 405-1-12, Real Estate Handbook (1985). Standing Operating Procedures (SOP), Processing Major Outgrants, 23 November 1998. Policy Memorandum - Recreation Outgrant Development Policy, 9 February 2005. ER 200-1-5, Environmental Quality - Policy for Implementation and Integrated Application of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Environmental Operating Principles (EOP) and Doctrine, 30 October 2003. LRN Standing Operating Procedures, Mitigation Policy for Issuing Real Estate Outgrants, 13 August 2002. Nashville District Guidelines Policy for the Review of Cut and Fill Proposals Below Maximum Flood Pool Elevations on Corps of Engineers Lakes and Interests in Lands, December, 2002 Consideration of Cumulative Impacts in EPA Review of NEPA Documents, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Federal Activities, May 1999. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resources Management Gateway; http://www.usace.army.mil/recreation/ It is also important to acknowledge the following resources used during development of the J. Percy Priest Master Plan: Grapevine Lake Master Plan Supplement No. 2, Design Memorandum No. 1C, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, January, 2001. Wappapello Lake Master Plan Update, St. Louis District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, December 1988. - 2 - J. PERCY PRIEST – MASTER PLAN UPDATE SECTION